For Wisdom's Sake by Nuria Calduch-Benages

Author:Nuria Calduch-Benages
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: De Gruyter
Published: 2021-03-22T06:44:01.497000+00:00

ὅτι

οὐθὲν

κρεῖττον

ϕόβου κυρίου

καὶ

οὐθὲν

γλυκύτερον

τοῦ προσέχειν ἐντολαῖς κυρίου

The parallelism between fear-of-the-Lord (God) and law (commandments), the focal point of our verse, is frequent in Sirach. It is found also in the following texts: 1,25 – 26; 9,15 – 16; 10,19; 15,1; 19,20.24; 21,11; 35(32Hb),15 – 16; 35(32Hb),24 – 36(33Hb),1; 37,12; 39,1. However, the precise expression προσέχειν ἐντολαῖς appears otherwise only in 35(32Hb),24 (“whoever believes in or trusts in the law, observes the commandments”)38. The Hebrew text, available in three manuscripts, presents a notable difference with respect to the Gk: “whoever observes the law (‏שׁמר תורה‏‎‎ MS B)/whoever gives heed to the law (‏נוצר תורה‏‎‎ MSS E and F), takes care of himself”39. As Antonino Minissale rightly observes, this difference can be understood only if one takes into account the different structure which 35(32Hb),21 – 24 presents in the two texts40. While in the Hebrew text v. 24 opens a new strophe (35[32Hb],24 – 36[33Hb],3), in the Greek version it concludes the passage starting in v. 18 (35[32Hb],18 – 24). Therefore, in addition to the expression προσέχειν ἐντολαῖς, Sir 23,27 and 35(32Hb),24 also have another element in common, that is, the concluding function which they perform in their respective passages, even when, as we shall see later, the significance of our verse is much broader.

As to the comparative adjectives, “sweeter” (γλυκύτερον) corresponds to “better” (κρεῖττον). The adjective γλυκύς is also found in a passage on friendship with reference to speaking: “the sweet throat multiplies friends and the gracious tongue finds a welcome” (6,5), and, in Wisdom’s address to those who desire her: “the remembrance of me is sweeter than honey, my inheritance [is better] than the honeycomb” (24,20). The mention of remembrance or memory (μνημόσυνον) reminds us of the adulterous woman, whose memory is marked with a curse. However, this is not the only reference to our protagonist. In fact, in his description of the adulterous woman, the sage employs the same images which he has already applied to Wisdom in chapter 1 and which he will take up again in chapter 24. I refer to the terms ῥίζα, “root” (cf. 1,6.20; 24,12 [ἐρρίζωσα] and 23,25), κλάδοι, “branches” (cf. 1,20; 24,16[3x] and 23,25) and κάρποι, “fruits” (cf. 1,16; 24,17 and 23,25 [καρπός]). With these references, Ben Sira not only intends to place the two female figures in relation to each other, but also to present Wisdom as the positive counterpart of the adulterous woman41. Another element present in both contexts provides further confirmation: while the adulterous woman is accused of transgressing “the law of the Most High” (23,23), Wisdom instead is identified with “the law that Moses commanded us” (24,23). What the sage intends with the expression “the law of the Most High” (νόμος ὑψίστου) is not made clear in the text. However, we hold with Pancratius C. Beentjes that it does not refer to a concrete commandment (Exod 20,14, for example, or Deut 5,10), but that it has a wider significance, something attested moreover in the other texts where it appears (9,15; 38,34; 41,8; 42,2; 44,20; 49,4)42. John J. Collins also aligns himself with this position when—à

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